Mohammad-Vali Gharani

Mohammad-Vali Gharani (1913-23 April 1979) was a Major-General in the Iranian Army who served as its Chief-of-Staff in 1979, succeeding Abbas Gharabaghi and preceding Nasser Farbod. He was assassinated by the [[Forqan Group] in 1979.

Biography
Mohammad-Vali Gharani was born in Tehran, Iran in 1913, and he entered the Iranian Army in 1930. By August 1953, he was the commander of the Rasht Brigade, and he was loyal to the Shah; he helped in carrying out the 1953 coup against Mohammad Mosaddegh's government. Following the coup, he was promoted to Vice Chief-of-Staff, and he was a candidate to take command of the newly-formed SAVAK in 1957. However, his criticism of the regime's endemic corruption led to him attempting a coup; he was discharged in 1958. He was imprisoned twice in 1958 and 1963, and he became a prominent opponent of the regime. After the Iranian Revolution of 1979, he became the Chief-of-Staff of the Iranian Army. On 23 April 1979, however, he was assassinated by the Forqan Group.